


girls talk

by aestheticisms (R_Vienna)



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dress Up, Gen, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-10 00:40:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7823506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_Vienna/pseuds/aestheticisms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's the first annual Mikarashi sleepover of winter break! Let the festivities begin!"<br/>"Naru-chan...did ya just smush our names together?" </p><p>-- Arashi and Mika spend a day in the wonderful world of the Narukami family closet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	girls talk

“Noooow, twirl! Own it! Just a little jut of the hip and--voila!”

“Naru-chan...is this really okay?”

“Of course, Mika-chan!” She claps and fusses over his appearance again, patting down unruly cowlicks and reapplying mascara on long lashes. Mika gives her a mismatched stare, and blinks like a deer stuck in the headlights. That's fine; it takes a while for the makeup to set anyways. Just stay still a while longer, Mika-chan. Your big sister will work her magic yet. Mika thumbs the fabric of his pale tulle skirt, four layers of soft cotton candy pink over a satin piece. It's one of Arashi's favorite skirts.

“Mmm.” He hums and hops off from Arashi's princess bed. Mika's slender and small, even more so than the model but when he twirls in front of the full length mirror—something sparkles in his typically fretful expression. Arashi leans forward, waiting for the final decision. She hopes Mika likes the coord, she did her best to make him the main attraction, to accentuate his favorite features. (She does this with too long long-sleeves and pretty hair decorations, little comets and tanabata frills.) She does this to downplay the things he did not like. (His eyes, even though Arashi thinks they're beautiful. They're her favorite in the world. After her own, of course. It’s hard to beat an amethyst storm but twinkling amber and sapphire could give it a run for its money.) Mika drowns in a cashmere cardigan, unbuttoned over a white blouse with a ruffle neck and a ribbon tie.

“It’s really pretty, Naru-chan.”

“You’re really pretty, you mean! Come on~ you can compliment yourself, you know.”

Mika marvels at the reflection in the mirror and Arashi smiles softly. She puts a hand over her chest and bounces over to his side. Next to each other, the differences in their outfits is striking. Arashi's still wearing what she deemed appropriate window shopping attire, a cute skirt and striped shirt. Her stockings were half on, half off, more on their way out than anything else. 

“But…is it okay?”

“I keep telling you yes, you can do whatever you want here—“ The look Mika gives her is enough to stop the incoming deluge of compliments and reassurances. Mika puts his hands on his hips and pulls on the cardigan until Arashi’s sure it’s going to stay like that. Wrinkles, sure, she could deal with that, but if the elastic was gone all together—

“I dunno if Mentor’s gonna be okay with this.”

Oh. So that’s what this was about. Arashi leads Mika back to her bed and sits him down, in between the decorative pillows, on top of the comforter, before putting her hands on his shoulders.

"Listen, Mika-chan. If Itsuki…senpai has some sort of issue or problem with how you dress, then he’ll have to come and talk to me. And that’s final!” Arashi does her best to be the most supportive and wonderful big sister ever, but Mika still doesn’t look convinced. “I’ll be there with you every step of the way.” She clasps his hands over hers and smiles as brightly as she can. Mika leans forward and bumps his forehead against hers, and sighs softly.

“Naru-chan, that’s not it…at least, not all of it.”

He bites down on his lower lip.

“I wanna be like you!” The sudden outburst catches Arashi off guard, because Mika’s looking straight at her now, refusing to break eye contact.

“Eh?”

Mika goes scarlet and puts his hands in front of his face.

“I went and said sumthin’ stupid again, stupid Mika, dumb Mika—“

“I mean, who wouldn’t want to be like me?”

Arashi sits down next to him, and puts her hand on his knee.

“But there’s more to it, right? You're not dumb, Mika-chan.”

She’ll coax an answer out.

“I wanna dress like this, wanna wear skirts and stuffs.” Mika pauses and threads his fingers together over his lap and sighs again. Arashi doesn’t think she’s seen him this dejected about something since the time he was working on a birthday present during their first year. “When I was a kid, little snot nosed brat, my momma and pop’s would say I was gonna be a big strong man when I grew up. Gotta make my keep in the country, and stuff. Said my name was Mika, but that I’d be sumthin’ more than beautiful.”

“I always thought, maybe, if I got stronger and stuff, I would be able to do that, I did’n like my dumb girly name cuz the folks wanted me to be more boyish. I cried a bunch, and smiled too much, yanno.”

“I didn’t know howta say what i was feelin’. The rents woulda said I was crazy, and Mentor…I dunno. I think he’d like me better if I didn’t say anythin’ at all. “

Arashi knows the feeling too well.

“I ain’t a boy, Naru-chan. and yer the only one who can see that.”

Mika finishes the story. Looks at Arashi with that quiet expression, soft and sad, when she’s used to the Mika all too happy to jump into the fire for someone else. She doesn’t know what to say. So, she does what she knows how to do, she wraps her arms around Mika’s neck, and pulls her close.

“I like it when ya say Mika-chan.”

.

Mika has her head on Arashi’s lap, and she runs her manicured nails through dark hair. They’re watching some variety show until dinner’s ready. They’re still both in dress up wear, Arashi’s blonde hair is mussed and gelled to perfection, and the purple slinky dress is doing wonders to the shade of her complexion. She’ll have to put on pajamas eventually, definitely before going downstairs, because Mother Narukami probably wouldn’t appreciate her designer gown out of its plastic garment bag.

There's school on monday. Winter break has come and go, and they're spending the last few hours on her bedroom floor. Arashi looks at Mika, halfway to sleep, but not quite there.

“Hey.”

“Mmm?”

“Want to wear skirts on Monday? Anzu-chan told Kiryu, who then talked to me, that I wanted some and he made me a bunch. We can be super cute.”

Mika yawns.

“Ya, ya.”

Arashi can see the content smile, despite her tired approval, and her heart flutters.

“We’re gonna look so good. At this point, we can get anything we want. Any cute boy got your eye?”

“Nah.”

Mika shifts so she can look at Arashi, and Arashi laughs.

“Of course not, they’re all bad at this dumb school, they’re our rivals. Maybe except Ado-chan, but—“

“He’s yours,”

“He’s mine.”

Arashi winks and Mika rolls her eyes. Any hesitation, any doubt, it’s melted off Mika’s small shoulders and disappeared into the atmosphere. It’s a comforting thought. Arashi taps Mika’s nose with a ringed index finger. They scramble to get back on their feet and get into more comfortable clothes. Telltale footfalls echo in the hallway. It was time to go eat.

.

“You can hold my hand if you want.”

Mika laces their fingers together.

“Thank ya.”

Koga and Yuzuru stop their heated debate the moment Arashi and Mika walk through the classroom door. Ritsu drowsily raises their head from the back of the room, before putting it back down again.

Mao sighs and gives them a grin.

"Did you have a good winter break, Narukami? Kagehira?”

Mika blinks owlishly and Arashi smiles.

“They ain’t sayin’ anythin’?” She whispers into Arashi’s ear. Arashi shakes her head.

"Yes, we did~ Thank you for asking, Mao-chan! I'm sure the holiday festivities at the Sakuma manor were wonderful." 

Mao starts sputtering and Ritsu snickers into an improvised pillow jacket. 

Koga scowls at Yuzuru before turning his attention to the front of the room.

“Hey, Diva 1 and 2, ya’ll took your damn time coming today! Fushimi here has me doing fuckin push ups for no damn reason!”

Yuzuru smiles placidly.

“Oogami-sama said he was worried about your attendance and wanted something to do while waiting.”

Koga growls, lunging for Yuzuru’s neck and Mika laughs. Arashi finally lets out the breath she didn’t remember holding. She looks at Mika, finally integrating into the 2-B classroom. Soon enough, Sagami-sensei would arrive, and this moment of peace would go, but until then…

Arashi sits down on the edge of Yuzuru’s desk, and joins the ruckus. She won’t let go of Mika’s hand.

**Author's Note:**

> illegal gender hcs  
> \-- angie @oceanblogging


End file.
